Korean Job Discussion Forums

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

anyone ever look into these or attempt to get one?

my computer knowledge is fairly limited.. but thinking that if someday i want to have some skill for back home.. studying for the A+ certification wouldn't be a bad move.

anyone went down this road before? or thought of it?

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:18 am Post subject:

As I understand it, certifications are always a feather in your cap, but any employer looks for experience. My father keeps trying to hire people to help with general computer and network stuff, but they always leave for bigger money within a year.

You can get your certification, and that's great. Take a not-so-great-pay job to gain experience for a year (wash lettuce), and soon you'll move up to fries.. and that's when the big bucks start rollin' in (at least above 50,000 a year, anyway).

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

The courses and prep books have some good knowledge but as a certification A+ won't get you a job, unless maybe you want to get one of those Nerds on Wheels franchises.

Certification tests are in the neighbourhood of $400 USD now, I believe?

BigBlackEquus · Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject:

I have come to the conclusion that A+ and many of the similar courses are a "get rich quick" cash cow for the school. Sure, you will learn something, but the schools peddle the things like they're what will help you move from McDonalds to a $70,000 job in just a few short weeks/months.

Schools are getting to be like used car salespeople anymore, and it's almost sick.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

It is what it is- an attempt to establish a benchmark, a standard level of competency. For example it's only one part of a suite of courses that the local tech college uses in their program. It's not perfect. But it's better than having nothing in the space between no knowledge at all and MSCE.
BBE, maybe you just hang around the wrong schools?

Do A+ exam prep courses really promise $70 K jobs to McDonalds employees?

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Giant · Joined: 14 May 2003 Location: South Korea

I got my A+, after I was in the field for a few years, I aced it without even opeing a book. I am now working on my MCSE, I hope to have that finished soon. The thing is I have more than 10 years in the IT field but notbeing certified always made me get less bucks.

So I think after I get my MCSE I will move onto some Novell courses, and even maybe Cisco.

My advice is... Don't waste time on an A+ (Although you will learn a lot if you are new to computers), go for an MCSE or something better.

Giant · Joined: 14 May 2003 Location: South Korea

If you need some study materials, like eBooks or Trancenders let me know. I have a whole heap of them.

Cheers

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

i bought a textbook called 'A+ Guide to Hardware: Managing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting' by Thomspon Course Technology. Supposedly the textbook is 'A+ CompTIA certified'.. and this 750 pages of material is pretty much all new to me!

I kid u not.. I wasn't even all that sure what exactly a motherboard was until I read it on page 8 last night.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Well then A+ is where you want to be- Giant, I think you must have some rocks in your head, recommending jumping straight into an MCSE!
Laughing

Sure it's an extremely useful certification, but it's also a lot more expensive, and a lot more time consuming and intensive.
As your posts already illustrate, you don't need MCSE for an entry level IT job, if you've been able to do without it for 10 years.

Besides MCSE is all MS operating systems, right?

A+ is about 50% hardware and 50% operating systems, if I recall correctly.

Giant · Joined: 14 May 2003 Location: South Korea

Well, I did say if he was new he would learn a lot doing an A+. But now that he said he did not even know what a motherboard was... I guess A+ is a good place to start. Smile

Yes, an MCSE is all about MS OS systems. When I did my A+ is was like you said, half hardware and half software.

Anyway, gor for the A+, get some confidence, then go for the N+. Its a good foundation for the MCSE.

red headed stranger · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul

I agree with what Giant is saying. A+ followed by N+ would get you into a lot of entry level positions. It will at least help you get past a the HR filters on a lot of entry level jobs.

When I mentioned in another thread that that A+ was an really easy certification, I was speaking from the perspective of a person who had a good amount of experience before taking the test. It sounds like A+ would be good for you.

hari seldon · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Incheon

Although I've never been employed in the IT business, I've always built my own stuff and got A+ certified a few years ago.